Apple engineers dish on no macos for ipad & why 11-inch model didn’t get mini-led | appleinsider
Two Apple employees sat down for an interview detailing decisions behind the iPad Pro with M1, engineering challenges of the device, and why macOS isn’t coming to iPad.
The new iPad Pro with M1 processor and Liquid Retina XDR display is now available to customers. The powerful processor has lead to many questions about the future of Apple’s tablet line and the state of software on the platform.
A member of the Apple display engineering team, Vincent Gu, and iPad Product Marketing, Scott Broderick, sat down with Brian Tong for an interview on his video podcast. The interview rehashed many of the talking points and specs for the iPad Pro, but there were a few new pieces of information shared about the product’s development.
When asked about the mini-LED display, Gu says it required a «whole new level of engineering.» Apple couldn’t just slap a mini-LED backlight behind its LED display and expect it to work effortlessly. Gu described it as an optics challenge; the technology to synchronize the mini-LED with the display didn’t exist and had to be invented from scratch.
These challenges are part of the reason why the 11-inch iPad Pro didn’t receive the display. Broderick says that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro users expect the best technology and the best display possible, so that was the product chosen for the new display. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is a half-millimeter thicker due to the inclusion of the mini-LED display, Broderick confirmed.
The 11-inch iPad Pro users are more concerned over the size and weight of the device, the engineers said, and that had to be considered. Beyond other technological restrictions and size constraints, keeping that one-pound tablet the same size and shape were paramount.
Development of the iPad Pro with the M1 processor, Thunderbolt port, and software considerations was an all-hands effort. Getting the display to work was a combined effort of the display team, the iPadOS team, and the M1 team all at once.
According to Broderick, if the iPad Pro is to be a powerful machine for HDR content development, the display and port both play an important part. Connecting peripherals like powerful external displays or fast Thunderbolt hard drives are a part of the creative process, so iPad Pro needed a powerful Thunderbolt port.
Gu and Broderick couldn’t comment on future software or other plans for the product. They referenced the apps taking advantage of the unique technology that the iPad has to offer, like Adobe using Apple Pencil or Procreate using LiDAR for 3D rendering.
Tong asked if there was any consideration of running Boot Camp or macOS on the iPad Pro since it has a Mac processor.
Broderick responded simply that each platform is unique and distinct and will remain so. The iPad is touch first, has cameras and accessories, and apps that leverage that. The Mac is designed with the mouse and keyboard at the center of its interaction, and the apps reflect that.
Broderick added that the iPad and Mac will remain distinct, but Apple also wants to emphasize how the products work together. Using Continuity or features like SideCar will make these devices even more powerful in tandem.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display is available to purchase now starting at $1,099. The 11-inch iPad Pro may not have the new display, but it still has the M1 processor and starts at $799.
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In summary
If you are in the market for the new iPad mini and you have the iPad mini 4 in your possession, it is possible to transfer the case, but you shouldn’t. While it may work for now, it will be compromised because of slightly different button placement or obscured microphone penetrations, and you should probably shell out for a new case when available.
Those going for the iPad Air would do well to look at cases made for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, as 9.7-inch iPad cases simply won’t fit. Since Apple’s pulled that Pro model, it may also result in cheaper cases on the market before not very long.
It may not necessarily be a good idea to shift cases between devices, though, unless you’re unloading the older hardware. As you may want to continue using older models for as long as possible, it may be worth keeping the case on it for protection and shell out a few bucks on a case made for the new models.
Ipad mini
The fifth-generation iPad mini is a relatively simple one to check, at least compared to the iPad Air.
Purely on physical fit, the new iPad mini is the same as the iPad mini 4, with identical lengths, widths, and thickness at 203.2 millimeters, 134.8 millimeters, and 6.1 millimeters respectively. The iPad mini 3 is slightly shorter than the other two at 200 millimeters, and while it is practically the same for width, it is also thicker at 7.5 millimeters.
Just on these measurements, cases for the iPad mini 3 won’t fit on the iPad mini 5, but the iPad mini 4’s cases will at least fit onto the new model. There are, however, other considerations before simply using the iPad mini 4’s cases.
Рассекречен новый ipad mini
Apple готовит компактный планшет без кнопки Home и с тонкими экранными рамками. Об этом сообщает издание GSM Arena.
Журналисты ссылаются на дизайнера Майкла Ма (Michael Ma), который создал рендеры будущих планшетов на основе слухов. По его информации, iPad mini шестого поколения получит приближенный к дизайну классических iPad и iPad Pro безрамочный дизайн. Устройства выйдут с 8,4-дюймовым экраном Liquid Retina с частотой 60 герц. Похожий дисплей имеет, в частности, выпущенный в 2021 году смартфон iPhone 11.
Также гаджет получит плоские рамки, встроенную в боковую кнопку дактилоскопический сенсор Touch ID, Wi-Fi-модуль, поддержку работы в сетях 5G. Девайсы серии iPad mini будут базироваться на процессоре Apple A14 Bionic и комплектоваться накопителями емкостью 64, 128 и 256 гигабайт.
На задней панели планшета расположится одинарная камера. Инсайдеры полагают, что устройства выйдут в сером, серебристом, розовом, зеленом и синем цветах — Space Grey, Silver, Rose Gold, Green и Sky Blue. Гаджет будет иметь поддержку работы со стилусом Apple Pencil.
В середине августа известный журналист Марк Гурман (Mark Gurman) заявил, что на осеннем мероприятии кроме iPhone 13 Apple покажет планшеты iPad 9 и iPad mini 6, а также часы Apple Watch 7. По его мнению, iPad mini будут иметь полностью измененный дизайн и экраны с тонкими рамками.
